Modules & Upstream Manufacturing

New research from the United Kingdom sees potential to double efficiency of antimony selenide absorbers, beyond today’s champion cells with 10%, by applying latest growth methods, reducing vacancy concentrations, and materials optimization.

As part of our Intersolar 2024 interview series, pv magazine spoke with Amy Fang, senior PV analyst at InfoLink Consulting, about new solar factories coming online and decreasing solar modules prices. She says the downward trend may continue until the first half of next year, with prices reaching $0.07/W, and estimates global module demand for this year could reach between 470 GW and 500 GW.

Dutch company offering bird-proofing solution for solar installations expands its range with a trio of launches – with high hopes that its business can take flight on commercial rooftops.

The Norwegian PV manufacturer praises the south central US state for “its robust clean energy, manufacturing ecosystem and workforce development programs” as well as its “its competitive business offerings and site acceleration options.”

AGL Energy has teamed with solar panel recycler Elecsome to explore the development of a PV materials recovery facility at the site of the coal-fired Bayswater power plant in New South Wales, Australia.

Research at three Canadian locations tried to identify which crops can grow between differently spaced rows of vertical agrivoltaic systems. The scientists concluded that all traditional corps could be grown at the research sites, including arugula, beets, bok choy, celery, coriander, collards, fava beans, kale, lettuce, parsley, parsnips, peas, swiss chard, and thyme.

Partnerships with steel equipment producers in the US state of Ohio and two locations in Texas will enable Origami Solar to have its steel solar module frames shipped from fabricator to module manufacturer in one to two days.

Three Gorges Energy has obtained $10.89 billion of funding for 2024. Its total installed renewable energy capacity exceeded 40 GW at the end of 2023, with total assets surpassing CNY 310 billion.

Meyer Burger will start production at its US module factory as it relocates its core operations from Germany to the United States. It is launching production of heterojunction solar modules and securing financing for a new cell plant.

At Intersolar Europe 2024, pv magazine spoke with Edurne Zoco, executive director, Clean Energy Technology at S&P Global Commodity Insights, about module price trends, increasing solar demand and PV manufacturing outside China. She claims panel prices may stabilize in the second half of this year or in early 2025 and says top seven Chinese manufacturers may even continue with capacity expansion plans. She also believes that, without further substantial incentives, Europe will not be able to recreate a domestic PV supply chain.